These Top Juicing & Smoothie Tips Make It Quick, Easy & Nutritious
Here are the top tips for the best fresh juice and smoothie. These tips make juicing and smoothies quick and easy, help you avoid costly mistakes, and insure that your juices and smoothies are healthy and nutrient rich.
Go Organic
Fruits and vegetables absorb whatever chemicals are used to grow them. Thus, if it’s affordable you should use organic fruits and vegetables because they insure that your juice or smoothie is pesticide-free. If you’re on a budget, you only need to go organic with the ‘Dirty Dozen.’
Choose The Right Machine
“Slow” juicers get more juice from your produce, especially greens. Great models are made by Hurom, Omega and Breville. The best smoothie maker is the Vitamix. See my juice and smoothie machine reviews for the best!
Don’t Save It
It’s best to drink your fresh smoothie or juice right away as it will spoil in hours, even less if you juice melon, broccoli, cauliflower or cabbage.
Juicer Vs Blender
Your kitchen blender will make you a great soup but not a juice or smoothie, unless you want a lumpy gritty drink! If you can’t afford a juicer or high speed blender, you can use your kitchen blender and then filter the blend thru a coffee filter.
Go Green
Vegetable are super foods, particularly wheatgrass. Add just a small handful to all of your juice recipes – more and you are likely to upset your stomach.
Some Don’ts
Avocados and bananas will clog your juicer unless you have a commercial model. Put these in a blender and then add them to your juice. And don’t place really dry or hard parts of fruits and veggies in your juicer or blender such as the skin of the pineapple or pomegranate or large seeds – these won’t add any nutrients.
Use The Skin
The skin of most fruits and vegetables contains the highest amount of nutrients. The problem is that the skin doesn’t taste good. Try adding just a bit of the skin. For instance, I leave 50% of the skin of the carrot in my juice or smoothie it tastes just as sweet.
Use The Pulp
The pulp is a great source of fiber so I put a spoonful or two back into my juice. Or use the pulp for a great mock tuna salad by just adding mayonnaise!
Use The Pith
Juice that white fleshy stuff between the rind and the fruit – it has tons of nutrients!
Be Creative
Make up your own juice recipes. Tailor them to your own taste and health needs. When I first started making fresh juices and smoothies, it was helpful to know what fruits and veggies taste particularly good so I didn’t waste time and money making terrible tasting combinations. A good recipe book can also save you time hunting for special recipes that target particular health concerns, such as low energy, memory loss, diabetes, high blood pressure, weight loss, and asthma to name just a few! My favorite recipe book is not only complete but also costs less than any other recipe book available today, proving that there really are some great bargains! It’s Juicing & Smoothie Recipes That Heal! available in the box on the right. For Kindle, Nook and iPad users you can purchase the book thru Amazon, Barnes & Noble and iBooks.